Fall of the OneWinged Angel
by thag-the-upset
Summary: What if Sora's final challenge in the colleseum went differently. What if the last challenger was intercepted by another...


FALL OF THE ONE-WINGED ANGEL  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters who appear in Kingdom Hearts. Thanks a bunch, you just crushed my dreams. (runs off sobbing)  
  
A/N: I'm in the middle of a Metroid fic, but I thought I should test my mettle in a more popular game. This is only my second fic, PLEASE read and review! On with the story!  
  
  
  
The kid has potential. He wouldn't stand a chance against me if I had really let loose on him, but he was good. Granted he fought with no actual tact, but he had lots of heart. It's like he is who I once was.  
  
Who I once tried to be.  
  
He didn't know it, but since he beat me in the first tournament I've been watching him. It almost made me smile to see him fight just for the fun of it in all his innocence.  
  
Almost.  
  
Hercules walked out of the ring with his head hanging low. "That's what you get for being cocky." I said to him with a chuckle.  
  
He looked up at me and mimicked Sora's ridiculous grin, "Hey, at least I gave him a run for his munny!" He massaged his shoulder, "Besides, how was I to know he was that good?"  
  
"I tried to warn you, but no, 'I am the son of the gods, no mortal can beat me'" He just glared at me. "So what's next for our boy wonder?" I asked.  
  
"Phil said something about summoning some great swordsman to take him on one-on-one."  
  
"Someone who actually uses strategy? He's doomed," I joked. Herc chuckled, but despite my joking, I didn't even crack a grin. Ever since Hades had "voided" our contract, all I could do is train, train and train some more. My "search" had been halted by the fact that I could no longer leave this world.  
  
"There he is." Herc's words snapped me back to reality. Sure enough, Sora entered the arena alone. He was still using my key chain, not that I blamed him, it was a stylish version of my Buster Sword.  
  
The arena shook with energy as the sky lit up with strange glyphs and symbols. A pillar of light struck the floor and suddenly all was still.  
  
The subtle sunlight glinted off the long, curved blade of the challenger's weapon and I tensed up. "It can't be . . ." The man stood slowly, his black cloak billowing in the wind. My breath came in short gasps as my heart feared the worst. He wasn't facing me, but I still recognized him, his silvery hair flowing over a pair of black-feathered wings.  
  
My own demon's wing tore through my shoulder as I launched myself at the figure. A pair of strong arms gripped my waist, but it only barely slowed me down. "Cloud!" Herc hollered over the rushing of air, "You know the rules, no interference allowed!"  
  
My left elbow jabbed his ribcage while my right arm reached over across my chest to fling the demigod off my back "FOOL!" I screamed "You could NEVER understand!" And again, I flew off towards the ring. My target hadn't moved, but Sora ran up to the edge to intercept me. I drew back my Buster Sword "STAND ASIDE!" I bellowed. Yet he stood firm. In my blind rage I swung my massive blade, it was only with the last of my sanity that I could flip the weapon so I hit him with the blunt side. The boy flew clear across the stadium, I still might've killed him, shattered every bone in his body.  
  
I didn't care.  
  
The magic wall rose around us, and it was like we were the only two people there, surrounded by mere souls only capable of watching us.  
  
Deja vu.  
  
"Still so full of anger, my lesser half?" His icy voice muttered. He slowly turned, and my worst fears were realized as his piercing blue eyes gazed into mine. "I like the new look, puppet."  
  
"Shut up Sephiroth!" I cried through my fury, "I knew, even then, you weren't gone. I knew I failed. I failed HER!" A cocky smile crossed his face. "But not this time. I've submitted myself to hell, to the DEVIL, to find her. But if I can take your empty soul down with me, it would be just as well!" I swung my sword in a mad downward stroke, but he drew his Masamune and easily parried.  
  
"You still don't get it. A calm mind and clear focus will always succeed over blind rage." He lashed out his right foot and tripped me onto my back and suddenly his sword was pointed at my face. "Really, that was rather anticlimactic, I knew I would win, but I really expected more from you, puppet." He leapt back and sheathed his sword, "Come, try again!"  
  
I stood up and charged the murderer with my Sonic blade attack. It seemed to catch him off-guard for a moment, but he dashed to the side so quickly I could hardly follow it. I linked into another charge, and another, but he was just too fast. He drew out his blade in a massive slash, but I managed to parry it. Despite the Masamune being so thin and light, it held against my much larger weapon. "So you have been training," he said with a smirk. My only response was a left hook to his face.  
  
He staggered for a moment then disappeared. "Sin Harvest!" the call came from behind me. I charged as he drew some ancient symbol in the air with his finger, and the world seemed to slow down. My vision began to blur with a soft glowing light. 'I've failed' I thought. I failed her then, when her precious life was heartlessly snuffed out right in front of me, now I failed her again. In the end I couldn't protect her, I couldn't save her, now I couldn't even avenge her.  
  
Aerith . . .  
  
No, no, no! "NO!" I howled as the spell ended and a pain all too real, yet not at all physical tore through my soul. I collapsed about a yard short of him.  
  
"Well that was fun," he chuckled. "It's too bad though, we really are pretty much the same . . ." He was cut short as my blade tore through the muscle of his left wing, severing it clean off.  
  
"No," I whispered, too exhausted to speak louder. "I am NOTHING like you." For a brief, wonderful moment, his face belied his cool composure as raw fear flashed across his face.  
  
He growled as the air around him burst into flames, sending me crashing into the invisible barrier. His blue mako eyes flashed a furious crimson, and he launched at me in a mad flurry of attacks so quick I only saw flashes of his sword. Intent not to kill me just yet, he sliced through my flesh so quickly, I didn't even feel the attacks land.  
  
He finally stopped and leapt back to catch his breath. The ring was covered with blood, and all was still as we gasped for air, glaring at each other. "You cannot survive, your lifeblood flows too freely to live through this," he gasped.  
  
"Survive?" I wheezed "You took her away from me, I have nothing to live for, short of ending your existence." I trudged ahead, readying for a finishing overhead slice. Sephiroth anticipated this and thrust his blade straight ahead. I froze as the sword flew through my chest. Ignoring the pain I brought my sword down upon his shoulder like a sledgehammer.  
  
The massive wound through his torso bled a bright light rather than the blood there already was plenty of around us. He rose up to the sky as the light grew, consuming more of his body. I fell on my back as his sword was lifted out of me. "Now it is you who is wrong" he sighed as there was only an aura of luminescence remaining.  
  
"She is alive."  
  
  
  
  
  
So what do you think? PLEASE Review and maybe, maybe I'll write some more soon. But for now, I'm off to Vegas for my 21st birthday! WOO-HOO! Happy Holidays! 


End file.
